Don't Be too Late
by Whitlinger
Summary: Team Natsu is on a mission which was more dangerous than what they had originally thought. A couple of thieves turned into a horrible nightmare that would include a confession, an execution, a surprised return and a betrayal. NaLu, all the way...
1. Chapter 1: Beginning

**Because I am one of the most random readers you will ever meet, don't be surprised if you see this. Yes, I read HP, PJ, HoO, Hunger Games and such. I also read classics. And I also read Japanese manga. Anyway, please enjoy my 2nd fanfic on FF. Don't forget to review! XD**

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><p>"ALL RIGHT!" Natsu slammed his fist down on the table. "There's two hundred thousand jewels with our name on it! C'mon, Luce, we're leaving!"<p>

"AYE SIR!" Happy cried.

Lucy yawned and finished her drink. "Natsu, it's not even five in the morning yet. Why'd you drag me over here so early anyway?"

"I told ya, it's the surprise," he said. "I need some money for it."

Was Natsu blushing? Lucy wondered. Or was it just the light from the fire he was eating?

"It's easy money," Natsu was saying. "We just have to beat up some thieves, that's all. Besides, you can pay your rent for a few months. So let's go!"

Before Lucy could protest, Natsu grabbed her arm and led her out of the guild.

"Those two are so close," Mirajane said, smiling sweetly. "It's like they're a couple."

"A...a couple?" Juvia repeated, blushing furiously. "J-Juvia with Gray-sama?"

"Sheesh," Gray said. "She'll never get over it, will she?"  
>"Gray, your clothes," Erza said wearily, too tired to be intimidating. She, like Gray, had came to the guild early because of some business. Something about the master falling off his place on the bar. And breaking both of his legs.<p>

"AHH!" Gray rushed off to hunt for clothes.

Meanwhile, Natsu, Lucy and Happy were in a carriage. Natsu, as usual, looked half dead. At one point, he groaned and fell into Lucy's lap. Lucy couldn't help smiling.

She wasn't sure when she started having strange feelings about Natsu. Lucy had started noticing things about him, like how cute he looked when he grinned, or how dark his eyes were.

Sometimes he mentioned Lisanna, his childhood friend. Lisanna was supposedly dead, because her body was nowhere to be found. Whenever Lisanna came up, Lucy felt a little...fine, she'll admit it. She felt a little jealous.  
>The carriage screeched to a halt. "Natsu, time to go," Lucy said, gently shaking him. He didn't reply. Then she realized he was snoring. "NATSU!" Lucy said louder, not shaking him so gently this time.<p>

"Uh?" Natsu mumbled. "Wait...it...stopped...?"

"So much for waking up early," she muttered. "He can't even keep his head up."

Suddenly he sat up and jumped out of the carriage. "I'm all fired up!"

Lucy sighed. He could be so random at times. They followed a narrow path to a small town.

"Let's see...make a left...around this bend...house on the far right..." They arrived at an ordinary house. Natsu pounded on the door.

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded. "Keep it down, okay? It's barely six yet. These people might still be asleep."

Just about then the door opened. An elderly man in pajamas yawned and stared at the two mages and Exceed in bewilderment. "And you are..."

"We're the mages that answered your request," Natsu said. "So, where are the thieves?"

The old man blinked, then smiled. "Ah, you are Fairy Tail wizards, correct?" Natsu and Lucy nodded. Happy gave an "Aye!"

"Please come in. My name is Weston Grant."

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><p>"So...you're saying that the same thieves have been ransacking your house since last week?" Natsu said.<p>

"Yes," Grant replied. "I can tell by how they search through my things. These criminals never clean up their mess, and they always steal my most priceless books."

"Priceless books?" Lucy echoed, her brown eyes lighting up. "Where do you get them?"

Grant smiled. "My father passed these down to me after he passed away. They are my rarest collection." He leaned forward, his smile disappearing. "I would like you to find one specific book for me. The name of this book is _Opaque, _and it seems our thieves have gotten their hands on it."

"No prob!" Natsu said. "We'll catch them in no time."

He was about to head out the door, but Lucy stopped him. "Wait! We don't even know where to start."

"I have heard some rumors in a nearby city," Grant said thoughtfully. "Perhaps you could start there..."

Natsu was already out the door, his pink hair shining in the early morning sun, Happy in pursuit. Outside, Lucy thought he looked kind of disturbed.

"Natsu? You okay?"

He looked up, startled. "Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. It's just that the dude smelled weird. Like he didn't live in his house or something..."

In his home, Grant smiled. Today was his birthday. And, he knew, his lucky day. His _very _lucky day.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Review plz! :D<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: ThE rEd CiTy

**Hey guys! Sorry for the short chapter. I was a little busy with school. Anyway, I suck at writing long chapters, but here it is... :D**

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><p>"Look," Lucy said, pointing to a worn and faded sign. "It says there's a city in a few miles from here."<p>

"Yeah, whatever," Natsu said, yawning. Lucy looked over at the Exceed and mage and saw…

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Lucy yelled. "WE ARE ON A MISSION, NOT A FISHING TRIP!"

"But I'm hungry," Natsu protested. "I didn't have a lot of fire today."

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR STUPID FIRE! WHO DRAGGED ME ON A MISSION BEFORE THE SUN ROSE? WHO'S STANDING HERE TIRED AND HUNGRY, TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING?"

"Lucy's being weird," Happy said, nibbling on a freshly caught fish.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING WEIRD?"

Moments later she was dragging a very flustered wizard and blue cat towards the Red City, where sandstorms occurred so often it earned its name. Mostly Lucy was the one hiding in Horologium counting sheep. But this time it was _she _in charge, _she _trying to move on, _she _ordering people around. Lucy felt a little like Miss Scarlet-Haired. So this was what Erza felt like when she was giving orders.

The way to the city was quiet. A bit too quiet. Lucy began to feel very self-conscious. Then she saw Natsu looking at her.

"W-What is it?" Lucy said, her cheeks scarlet.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked suddenly.

The feeling of being exposed went away. "It's blue. What about it?"

Natsu shrugged. "Nothing. Just curious."

Didn't he know my favorite color? Lucy thought.

Up ahead a hazy reddish brown cloud greeted them. When they entered the city Lucy began to cough nonstop, and her eyes watered. Natsu pulled his scarf up. Happy took cover behind Natsu. They were caught in the middle of a sandstorm.

"Luce? You okay?" Natsu looked a little worried as Lucy stopped walking.

"I'm—" she broke into a fit of coughing, "—fine. I'll just—summon Horologium."

"Okay then…" he still didn't look convinced, but they kept walking.

"Open, Gate of the Clock! Horologium!" Once again, Lucy took refuge in the grandfather clock.

"'What are we looking for?' she asks," Horologium said.

"'Dunno,' I say," Natsu answered. "Maybe we could ask someone. But can we have breakfast first?"

"I second that," Happy added, taking another fish out of his green pack.

"'Whatever,' she says," Horologium stated.

Just then there was a scream. From what looked like a closed bakery store a middle-aged woman stumbled out. A look of fear was plastered on her face. "Help!" she cried out. "Somebody help me!" A hand shot out and dragged her inside.

Then a young girl came out. "Don't worry, pedestrians!" she yelled. "My mother's just having her usual episodes. She has Alzheimer's disease, you see."

The nearby people lost interest and continued to their own destinations. But Natsu looked determined.

"'Natsu! Why are you stopping?' she questions," Horologium said.

"There's something wrong about that girl," he said, without even bothering to add "I say". "Did you notice her voice sounded wobbly?"

"'So?' she says," Horologium said.

"It sounds like a voice disguise. And she's sweating weirdly, so she should be wearing a mask. I'm going to go check it out." And then he was heading for the bakery store.

"My time is up, miss," Horologium said, and with a small poof he disappeared, leaving Lucy with no choice but to follow Natsu.

He pushed the door open. There was one shaking woman and girl awaiting them, shriveled up in a corner.

"YOU!" Natsu yelled at the girl, who apparently was the one who assured onlookers that everything was fine. "I'm gonna rip that mask off!" He lunged at the girl and grabbed her face.

"Huh? Why won't this damn mask come off?" Natsu tugged at the girl's face harder. Lucy sweatdropped as he shook her, while repeating,"Answer me! What's your trick?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" the girl squeaked.

"DON'T GIVE ME THE POKER FACE!"

"Natsu, stop it!" Lucy said. "I seriously doubt she's the one, okay?"

Then the woman, who was probably the bakery owner, said quietly, "The girl is right. I…I do have Alzheimer's disease."

"What?" Natsu dropped the girl immediately.

"Ouch," the girl said sarcastically, glancing at Natsu accusingly.

"Uh…gomennasai," Natsu said, blushing and scratching the back of his head apologetically. Happy burped and fell asleep on the counter.

"Hmmph." She looked away. Lucy noticed she was still shaking slightly.

"You sure?" Natsu still looked doubtful.

"I…I…" the woman trailed off. "My daughter and I are in a little tro…" Suddenly she screamed.

"No!" the bakery owner shrieked. "Please stop! Please, I promise I won't tell them!" She moaned, clutching herself.

"There's something on her back," Lucy said. "Natsu, look! It's a magic circle! Someone's controlling her."

"Wait…I smell something." Natsu disappeared into the backdoor. There was a silence. Then his voice floated out. "Aah! Um, do you have a twin, or is there someone exactly like your daughter here?"

Then a heavy thump sounded, and everything was quiet. "Hey!" Natsu yelled. "Hey, what are you doing?" Another crash followed.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried. She ran to the backdoor and opened it. "Na—" Lucy stopped short.

The girl from outside was holding an unconscious Natsu by his scarf, smiling sweetly.

"Hello, Lucy Heartfilia," she said. "We meet again."

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><p><strong>Whew! That's another chapter. Sorry for the cliffy. But I love ending my chapters this way. Also, do me a little favor by clicking the blue button below:<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Opaque

**This is as long as I can get in a chapter. Please enjoy! :D**

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><p>"Hey, look at this," Gray said, thrusting the Magnolia daily newspaper at Erza. "There's a new dark guild that's been revealed. Turns out it was undercover until it was strong enough to do its dirty work."<p>

Erza sipped her tea and took the paper. The headlines screamed, DARK GUILD REVEALED! FIRST VICTIM: HOME OF WESTON GRANT.

"That sounds familiar," Erza said out loud. "Gray, go check to see what kind of mission Natsu, his cat and Lucy went on."

"Okay." he left without objection.

Let's see, she thought, scanning the article. A week ago, the house of Weston Grant, a bookshop owner, was searched through, and a number of priceless items were missing. This continued until yesterday, where Grant found the thieves waiting for him, after arriving home early at noon. Grant was discovered dead by his neighbor, Melanie Tayner yesterday afternoon. It appears that he was struck with dark magic, known only as "Curse of Hell". "Curse of Hell" seemed to have the ability to torture and kill one using only the mind. "It was a bitter loss," Tayner says. "He was a very kind man." Numerous guilds have begun to search for this group...

"Erza," Gray said. "They answered a request by this guy. His name was W. Grant."

"When did this request appear?" Erza demanded.

"Uh, last night, I think. Around eight or so."

"Pack your bags. We're going to find Team Natsu."

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><p>"Who-who are you?" Lucy stuttered. "What did you do with Natsu?"<p>

The door opened, and Happy walked in, rubbing his eyes. "Lucy? What-"

Suddenly the Happy sucked in his breath and collapsed. "Don't worry," the girl said. "The Exceed won't interrupt us."

"Stop it!" Lucy cried. "Why are you hurting my friends?"

There was a silence. Then the girl smiled sadly. "Because, Lucy..." Suddenly her face warped and morphed into another face that Lucy had not seen in years...

"Because I am your mother."

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><p>Gajeel was having a bad day. First of all, there was no metal left in his fridge, so he had to attack all the silverware, which he barely used. Then, when he arrived at the guild at exactly nine am, Natsu wasn't there, so there was no one to pick a fight with. The bookworm was on a shopping spree for...well, books. So there was nothing to do except sit and have a couple of beers.<p>

He was getting so fed up with the quietness of the guild that he almost picked a fight with Mirajane. Maybe she could use Satan Soul- now _that _would be interesting.

"Hey," Gajeel said to Makarov, who was in a wheelchair. "You know any place to kill time?"

The master gulped down his wine and his cheeks became even redder. "Ha, ha. I hhhhave plentyee. A ssswordd? Orr a maccchhine gu-" The master nodded off, completely drunk.

"Master!" Mirajane said worriedly, propping a pillow behind his head, sighing. "You shouldn't drunk so much alcohol. It's bad for your health."

Gajeel gave up and headed back to his seat. Then he noticed Wendy sitting there. "Move it, squirt."

"Wendy got here first," Charle said in a voice he had always thought was really snotty.

"It's okay," Wendy said in a small voice. "I'll move."

Immediately Gajeel felt guilty. Why'd he have to pick on someone younger than him. Maybe it was because of his bad mood. But he was also in no mood to apologize, either.

"Say..." Wendy said, stopping and turning to Gajeel. "Were you asking for a place to go?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." What did she know about it?

"I know a town where they have a lot of metal factories. It's somewhere near the Red City, I think-"

"Thanks, Wendy." Gajeel was out of his seat already. Metal factories, huh? It was definitely his lucky day.

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><p>"Where are we now?" Erza asked Gray, her mountain of belongings casting a shadow over their magic four-wheeler.<p>

"Um, somewhere near that town. It starts with a D, I think." It was cruciating being alone with Erza. You never knew when she was going to throw a punch.

"Good. We're getting there."

"How'd you know where Natsu and the others are?"

"Intuition."

The trip was in silence. It was strange without Natsu and Lucy here. The atmosphere was so quiet Gray lost his habit of stripping. Instead, he let his thoughts wander. He thought about (dammit!)Juvia. It got on his nerves whenever she stalked him, but sometimes...sometimes, he thought it was cute. Yeah. Having a lovestruck stalker who talked in the third person was cute. He must be out of his mind.

The four-wheeler stopped suddenly. "I think something's wrong," Erza said. She kicked the door open and checked their surroundings.

"Gray!" she called.

"What is it?" He jumped out of the car.

"Someone's been following us," Erza said, pointing to another set of tracks that stopped short just a few meters behind theirs. "They just disappeared a minute ago."

She looked ahead at the approaching cloud. "A sandstorm's coming this way as well. We're walking, so prepare yourself."

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><p>"M-Mom?" Lucy couldn't believe it. Her mother, lost for so many years, was standing right in front of her eyes.<p>

Layla Heartfilia had tears in her eyes as she opened her arms, letting Natsu fall to the ground. Lucy approached her in a trance. Her mother, so close...

Suddenly Natsu groaned. "Lu...cy...don't...trust her..."

Layla's smile was stiff now. "Lucy, I've missed you. Come to me, my dear girl. Come to me."

Lucy wavered between Natsu and her mother. It was a hard choice to make: Her best friend or her mother. A long silence passed. Then Lucy said in a cold voice, "You should be dead."

Layla's smile disappeared. "Well, I'm not dead. I'm right here. Let me give you a hug."

"My mother is dead!" Lucy was sobbing now. "Stop it! Stop trying to imitate her!" She picked up the nearest thing she could find-a heavy box of baking suppiles and threw it at Layla. A look of surprise passed over Layla's face as the box made impact. When her eyes rolled up into her head Layla's face morphed again, this time to a girl maybe twelve or so.

Lucy stumbled to her knees, her tears flowing nonstop. Her mother's death felt like it had just happened yesterday; a death so fresh she couldn't ignore it anymore. She wished Erza and Gray were here. They could take charge of the situation. She was too weak to do anything.

Then she felt Natsu's hand on her arm. A jolt of electricity went through where he touched her. "You're not alone. I'm here."

Lucy smiled weakly and wiped her tears away. He staggered to his feet and rubbed his head. "Ow..."

"Natsu, you need to rest," she said. "What were you hit with?"

"When I came here, this girl standing here with a magic circle similar to the one we saw in the store," Natsu explained, leaning against the wall. "She looked kinda surprised, but she muttered something and this black cloud engulfed me."

"Were there any side effects?" Lucy studied him closely. He shifted uncomfortably. "Not _really_..."

"Natsu! Tell me the truth."

"No, seriously, I'm fine." We need to go." So they dragged the unconscious girl with them, and Natsu carried Happy. Natsu looked a little pained to see his unconscious friend. "So he suffered the same fate as me, huh."

The bakery owner and her daughter looked on in awe as they passed. Natsu waved. "See ya!"

"We need to put her somewhere, though," Lucy said. "Maybe we can lock her up somewhere?"

"Let's put her in an alley trashcan," Natsu suggested eagerly. "I want my revenge. Man, when she wakes up in junk I wonder what she would feel like-"

"That's too obvious," Lucy said. "Let's find another place."

Outside, the sandstorm had passed. They realized they couldn't be seen carrying the girl without being thought as robbers. So Lucy and Natsu stopped in a small alley right next to the bakery to think.

"We're stuck," Lucy said dully.

"Just stick her in a trashcan and let's go," Natsu said impatiently.

"Forget the trash, okay? What if she wakes up and comes at us? Or someone else? If only we had a container of some sort."

"How about a magic four-wheeler?" someone said. "Would that work?"

They turned and saw two shadows. It was...

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><p><strong>Yes, I know you know who it was. But I'm ending here. Anyway, please review! _<strong> 


	4. Chapter 4: Library?

**Sorry for the slow update. This is a really short chapter, so sorry again...**

"Does this mean we have to split the money again?" Natsu asked, frowning.  
>"That's not the point, bonehead," Gray said. "The request you chose was fake."<br>"Are you saying that I'm hallucinating the Grant dude?"  
>"Of course. Doubting me, flame-brain?"<br>"Why, you-"  
>"SHUT UP!" Erza took charge again. Lucy had to smile. It was a relief to have all her friends here. It made everything easier, and Natsu less intense. For some reason she was beginning to feel a little awkward around him. Something had changed, she knew it.<br>They had just hid the girl in the trunk. After Erza drove the four-wheeler into the alleyway they were at the library asking for information.  
>"Continue, please," Erza said to Mr. Abaney, the librarian.<br>"_Opaque_ is a very priceless book," Mr. Abaney explained. "It was currently in the possession of Mr. Grant, but very unfortunately he passed away recently, so its whereabouts are unknown."  
>"He died?" Lucy asked, confused. "But we just met him this morning."<br>"Then it must've been someone else pretending to be her," Erza said. "It could be some sort of magic."  
>"That sounds familiar," Natsu said thoughtfully, which was rare for him. "Isn't that what the girl did?"<br>Erza looked at him curiously. "Explain yourself."  
>"Well, she did do this freaky morphing thing. "Like, her face rippled and she turned into someone else."<br>"I've never heard of that sort before," Mr. Abaney said. "It must be Lost Magic."  
>"She changed to look exactly like my...my mother," Lucy brought up. "Everything about her was the same- her voice, her appearance, even her smell."<br>"Even her smell?" Gray said. "Then Natsu can't tell the difference, either."  
>"Yeah," Natsu said, a bit forcefully, still shooting dirty looks at Gray. Gray was about to do a very rude gesture, but Erza gave them a warning look.<br>"Then these people might be related," the librarian said. "They must be searching for the book Opaque, because there are rumors it was hidden here in the Red City. _Opaque_ contains the darkest secrets of magic, even more powerful than Zeref."  
>"I do not have a lot of information on this book," Mr. Abaney admitted, "but I advise you to find this book and leave it to me for safekeeping."<br>"Where should we start?" Erza asked as Natsu and Gray bickered behind her back.  
>"I've heard Mr. Grant's son lives here. He'll tell you more than I can."<p>

**~0~0~0~**

Seti smiled to himself in satisfaction. Mr. Abaney was so easy to pose as. The _real _Arthur Abaney was long dead, hidden in the basement with a knife through his heart. But Seti had to make it look like a suicide, so he switched Abaney's memories with Melody's help. What a shame. The idiot Fairy Tail wizards didn't have a clue what was going on. They had actually fallen for his trap. Lucifer would surely reward him for his work. He headed to the nearby jewelery shop in a good mood. Unlike Melody, he preferred jewels and gold over pastries. He wondered how she was doing at the bakery. Seti hadn't heard from her yet.  
>He abandoned his thoughts. Perhaps a little robbery would do him good.<p>

**~0~0~0~**

The house was so easy to find it was strange. It was like they were drawn to it. Happy was awake by the time they got there.  
>"Weird," the pink-haired Mage said, ringing the door for the umpteenth time (after Erza creamed his arm for banging). "It seems like they're not home."<br>Lucy tried the door. "It's unlocked." Happy was the first to fly inside.  
>"Woooow!" Happy cried. "It's fish!" Immediately the sounds of chewing filled the air. Natsu entered the house next.<br>"Hey cool!" they heard him yell. "It's fire!"  
>The rest of the guild went in. "C-Cake?" Erza stammered, staring at a very delicious-looking platter of pastry. "I haven't had chocolate soufflé in a long time." But she was either too smart or too suspicious to touch anything.<br>"Something's wrong..." Erza muttered, surveying the room as Lucy stared at her cover spread on Sorcerer's Magazine and Gray immersed in a picture of Ur. The living room was fairly plain. To the left was a counter with chocolate soufflé, leftover fire, and fishbones. To the right were a couple of sofas and chairs, a bookshelf, and a fireplace- in which the fire was somewhere in Natsu's stomach.  
>But there was a particular smell that worried Erza. She was no Natsu, but even she could pick out that odd odor of...was it blood? Or just oxidation and salt from the kitchen next doors?<br>"Auuh!" Natsu said. He looked like he couldn't move his mouth. He looked like he couldn't move his body.

"Mmn!" Lucy cried. She was in the same condition. Everyone was stuck like statues, except for Erza.

"Well, well," said a steely voice. "What do we have here?"

**I'll try to update as soon as I can! :D**


	5. Chapter 5: caught

**I know I know, my chapters are super short. Part of the reason is that I'm writing undercover, and my mom won't let me type unless I can get my grades up. Also, please tell me what my weaknesses are!**

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><p>He was a tall guy. His hair was scarlet red, brighter than Erza's, unalike the blood on his hands. Yeah, blood. Natsu was sure it was blood. He could tell from the revolting smell of rust and salt.<p>

Natsu couldn't move. The fire he had stuffed in his mouth was sliding slowly down his throat. He was gonna choke, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Erza seemed to be the only one who could move. She was studying the scarlet, as if analyzing his every move. That was Erza for you. She thought of people as interesting specimens, not people with emotions.

The man strolled over to Natsu, and, without warning, punched him in the face, pretty hardly, too. Blood trickled from his nose. Natsu hated just standing there not being able to throw a right hook.

"What do you think you're doing?" Erza demanded in a dangerous tone that screamed, _Beware! On verge of Scary Erza Mode!_

The man shrugged and answered leisurely, "Oh, nothing. Just playing." Suddenly he kicked Natsu in the stomach. _Ouch,_ Natsu thought. He grunted a little.

"Don't lay another finger on my comrades," Erza warned, "or you'll regret it."

He turned away from Natsu and faced Erza instead. He had on a curious expression. "Hmm, I wonder why you can move…you must've left everything alone, unlike your friends here." The scarlet tapped his head, and Lucy made a horrible sound, her eyes reflecting pain and fear.

In a flash Erza had reequipped and proceeded to strike the scarlet with a long blade. But at the last moment she hesitated suddenly, her eyes wide with surprise. "That's—"

Erza fell to her knees and changed back, clutching her head and biting her lip. "What…is this..." She moaned and collapsed, unconscious.

_Stop hurting Erza! _Natsu wanted to scream. _You filthy bastard!_

So this is the great Titania," the scarlet mused, as Erza struggled back to consciousness. "How pathetic. You see, my magic is special. My illusions work on everything, even on that articial eye of yours."

The man stretched his arms wide, gesturing at the room. "The fire you savor, Salamander, is just an illusion. The fish, the magazine, the photo…they are merely images I created with my magic."

_So that's why the fire tasted numb, _Natsu thought, as the fire disappeared down his throat. _But I did taste real and everything…could this guy control all our senses?_

"Illusion magic?" Erza asked, still groaning. "Is that it?"

"Of course not," he answered. "There is a catch. All of my illusions are cursed…there are exceptions, but yes, you fools have fallen for my trap."

_Exceptions, huh, _Natsu thought.

"Who are you?" Erza was standing up now, leaning on the sofa for support.

"I am Malikh, a member of the dark guild Occultus Umbra." He smiled a terrible smile. "And you are my prisoners."

**~0~0~0~**

People were staring at him, but Gajeel didn't care. It was worth it to have fresh metal straight from the factories. He didn't think he'd had metal this good before. Gajeel didn't know why, but he didn't even have to blackmail the factory workers. They just looked at him, freaked, and ran off. Maybe it was because he was chewing leftover silverware.

Someone thrust a newspaper in his hand as he was heading towards the bookshop to find Levi, since Wendy mentioned she might be here. Somehow he wanted to talk to her. Not because he liked her or anything. Just…well, he wanted to ask her some stuff.

…On the front of the newspaper was a picture of a symbol. THIS IS THE MARK OF OCCULTUS UMBRA, it was captioned.

A new dark guild? Gajeel thought. That might be interesting. Because he was reading while walking, he bumped into someone.

"Uh, sorry," he apologized. The girl couldn't be more than twelve years. Her face was hidden by a hood.

"It's nothing," she mumbled as she hurried past Gajeel. When she moved, her sleeve went up a little and he saw…

"That's the guild mark!" Gajeel grabbed her arm before she could leave.

"Let me go!" the girl cried. "What are you doing?"

"I won't unless you tell me why you have that mark on your arm." Gajeel abandoned all thoughts about Levy and dragged her with him. "You're coming with me."

She reluctantly obeyed.

**~0~0~0~**

Levi was in a really good mood. She'd just gotten a really good book, or at least that was what the librarian said. Lucy would be so jealous.

Where was Lucy, anyway? Levi hadn't seen her all morning. She was probably on a mission with Natsu, but still…Levi couldn't shake off that uneasy feeling that something was wrong.

She headed over to a bench and opened her new book. _Opaque,_ it was called. The cover was fancy, with swirly dark patterns and a picture of a magic circle. The book was by Weston Grant.

On the first page was a message. Levi read in a relaxed position, her feet on the bench with the book propped against her knees. As she read, her eyes widened in surprise, and she gasped.

A magic circle similar to the one on the cover appeared out of the book. The pedestrians around Levi didn't seem to notice anything wrong, though. The circle grew bigger and wider until it towered above her.

The circle brightened. Levi stared at it in shock. Words flew out of it.

"This is…" she stared at the floating words. "Oh my God…"

Just as the circle disintegrated, Levi lost her consciousness.

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><p><strong>THANKS FOR READING...AND PLEASE REVIEW! ;)<strong>


	6. Chapter 6: ESCAPE

**Here's the sixth chapter! Hmm, maybe I should say chappy, since it sounds cuter. Anyway, thank you to everybody who reviewed! I'm only twelve, though, so I'm terrible at writing romance. I was going to make this a NaLu story, but I got too caught up with the plot. **

**Enjoy your read! :D**

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><p>Gajeel dragged the girl with him to a small park, and let go of her, crossing his arms expectantly. "Well? So what's your excuse?"<p>

"I won't tell you," she shot back defiantly. The girl began to walk off in small, quick steps. A scrap of fabric fell from her sleeve. It looked like part of Erza's armor...

"Why do you have that on you?" Gajeel picked it up.

"I was stuffed in a trunk, okay? And that mark, well..." her face did a morphing thing, and she changed into a certain bluenette. He blinked. "Levi?"

"Gajeel, what are you doing here?" Levi/ the girl asked, her hands on her hips.

"Well, I..." He was still a bit confused. Levi's mouth twisted into a smile.

"Following me, huh?" Levi/ the girl said. "Get on with it, all right? I don't need a lap dog when I'm at the bookstore."

It was impossible. Impossible! Levi didn't know any transformation magic. How did she know about him trying to find her at the bookstore anyway? And about that mark...

"About that mark? The reason is over there." Levi/ the girl pointed behind him. But then her face turned white.

As stupid as he was, Gajeel looked. And he saw, sleeping on a park bench, a girl he knew as...Levi.

Then everything hit him. He'd been tricked! Gajeel turned back to the girl.

"Dammit!" She was already gone.

**~0~0~0~**

Being hauled and tossed into the basement was not Gray's idea of spending the day. But there he was, stuck with fireboy, his cat who won't shut up, a very scary scarlet, and a Celestial wizard. Oh yeah, and the dead guy.

The dead guy. Well, there was a lot of blood on him, that was for sure. Malikh killed him, probably, since the blood on his hands were the same color as the blood on this guy. So was the smell.

Once Malikh locked the door of the basement door and put runes on it (this guy knew a lot of magic), their spell broke.

Natsu cracked his neck. "Whew! It sure feels good to move again."

Lucy sagged on the floor, her eyes empty. Gray wondered what that bastard Malikh had done to her. Lucy was like a little sister to him, and it was painful to see her like this.

Erza stood shakily. "We need to escape this place. Gray, go read those runes. Natsu, try finding an escape route of some sort, or blast the walls open. Lucy and I will figure out a plan. And Happy...Happy can assist Natsu."

"Aye..." Happy didn't seem like his normal blithe self. Was it because of their condition. Or something worse?

Gray went over to the runes. What he read was inhuman and disgusting.

"This guy is sick," he muttered. "Drink his blood? Really?"

Natsu was really getting into it. "IRON FIST OF THE FIRE DRAGON!" He made a hole the size of four door put together.

"Hey, look, it's a tunnel," Natsu said, pointing at the hole. Even though Natsu _was _his rival, Gray still wanted to thank him. He'd saved them from turning into vampires.

They followed Natsu and Happy into the tunnel, still wary of what was to come.

"Everyone," Erza said suddenly. "I hear something. We need to hide." They all pressed against the wall, trying to stay still. A person dressed in a blue and black uniform walked past with a magic light. Luckily, it was too dark for the person to see them.

"What are we going to do?" Lucy whispered, after the uniformed person was out of sight.

"We need to find a exit first." Erza pursed her lips. "This isn't going to work. We'll have to split up. Natsu, you and Happy can stay with Lucy. Gray will come with me."

"Hai!"

**~0~0~0~**

In his own private room, Lucifer watched their every move. So they had made it out of the basement. Oh well. Lucifer was expecting that. This was only the beginning.

"Sir!" A couple of his men entered the room. "The prisoners have escaped!"

"Yes, I know. Malikh knows what he's doing," Lucifer said in a bored tone. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"N-No, sir- I mean, yes sir!"

What a bunch of imbeciles. With a flick of his hand, they collasped, writhing in pain.

"Bring me Melody," Lucifer said, watching them gasp and grab at the air. "She should be here by now."

**~0~0~0~**

"Let's go this way, Lucy." Natsu led her to a passage on the right, Happy flying ahead. Again his touch made Lucy's skin tingle. It was the second time already.

Why did Erza have to group them together? It was uncomfortable, but somewhere in the back of her mind Lucy liked being with Natsu. Oh yes, and the annoying cat.

Happy wasn't as annoying now, though, Lucy thought. For some reason, he'd been quiet ever since they were caught.

She was so distracted by her thoughts she almost bumped into the dead end, if it weren't for Natsu saying, "A door!"

"Shh," Lucy whispered, putting her finger to her lips. At a closer glance, it wasn't a dead end. Natsu was right. They slid the heavy wooden door open and peeked inside.

"Stop right there!" someone yelled.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, a cliffy. Hmm. That word sounds nice, too. I'll update soon, I promise! Well, if I can get that 100 in math...<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME YOUR OPINIONS _**


	7. Chapter 7: uNDERGROUND

Levy, in reality, was not asleep. She was unconscious, a book in the grass. Gajeel picked it up. Levy usually took good care of her books. But right now was not usually. Something had happened to her.

Gajeel shook her, forgetting to be gentle. "Levi, wake up."

She didn't wake up.

Gajeel shook her harder. "Levi? Levi!"

No matter how hard Gajeel tried, he couldn't get Levi to wake up. Something was wrong.

He picked her up bridal-style and carried her all the way back to the guild, ignoring the stares that followed him home. 

**~~*0*~~**

Lucy's blood turned to ice. They were dead.

"Ha! See? I found your trick!"

?

Oh, she thought. I see. So he wasn't talking to us. Lucy sighed in relief.

"Let me have a look," she said to Natsu, pushing him sideways a little. Through the crack she could see three people talking. One was a girl a bit older than Lucy. She was playing poker with a young man and another teenager girl.

"I think it's safe to go in," Lucy whispered. So Natsu pulled the door open, and they quietly went inside. A couple of barrels were stacked on the side of the room, so they hid behind the wooden containers.

"Do you think Lucifer will succeed, Gwyn?" the young man asked the teenager doubtfully. "We haven't done much except train."

Gwyn shook her head, sighing. "That's your weakness. You don't believe. You're strong, of course, with all that fire magic. But you're also a coward."

He stood, his hands knotted into fists. "You looking for a fight?"  
>"You're a fool, Aiden. As you wish." Without moving, a magic circle appeared before Gwyn. She tossed her cards down and they were revealed: three of hearts, ace of spades, a red queen.<p>

"Both of you, shut up," the girl said. "I almost won, and here you are, bickering over nonsense."

Gwyn and Aiden scowled at each other and sat down. "Fine, Opal. As you wish."

Hmm, Lucy thought. Opal seemed a lot like Erza.

"Hey, since Lucifer is probably snoring somewhere, let's go check it out to see how much power it gained," Gwyn suggested.

"We have to be careful though," Aiden said worriedly. "I mean, who knows when he'll come and kill us?"

"Yeah, whatever." They followed Gwyn into a door behind their poker table. Opal muttered something and pressed her hand on the door. It flashed purple and slid open.

"What do you think they gonna look at?" Lucy asked Natsu. She turned to him, but only an empty space greeted her. "Natsu?"

Lucy looked over at the door. Just before the door slid shut, she caught a glimpse of a familiar pink-haired dragon slayer and blue and white tail. They had followed Gwyn.

"Natsu! Happy!" 

**~~*0*~~**

A few hundred meters away, Erza and Gray were walking in a random direction.

"It would be better to find information about this dark guild Occultus Umbra before we leave," Erza had said earlier. "So keep your eyes open for any rooms or trapdoors."

And so Erza was with a raven-haired boy, caught in something more serious than she had expected.

Erza was too careless. Someone bumped into them, but he didn't carry a magic light.

"Who goes there?" he demanded.

All the training Erza had disappeared out of her mind. She was speechless.

"I said, who goes- "

"Idiot," Gray interrupted. "We're part of Occultus Umbra, remember? It's, uh, Gabe and Mikko."

"Gabe and Mikko?" The uniformed man was still uncertain. "I don't remember any Gabe, or any Mikko. Show me your mark."

"It's too dark in here," Gray scoffed. "What are you talking about?"

"If you can't, you'll have to come with me." 

**~~*0*~~**

Lucy was beginning to imagine a lot of things that might happen to Natsu and Happy. They could be caught. They could be lost in the passageways. They could be killed.

She just couldn't squat there behind a bunch of stupid barrels. She had to do something. Just as she was about to stand, someone came in. A shiver traveled up her spine. It was Malikh. She could still remember the pain he had made her endure, when she was unable to move. And those images of her mother...

Malikh walked to the door and muttered the same thing Opal had, pressing his hand against the wood. The door opened. Lucy tiptoed after him.

Inside was another long, dark passage stretching to her left and right. But when she was about to follow him, he had disappeared. Lucy cursed under her breath. Why did she hesitate?

She walked down the right passage, uncertain and uneasy. Not long afterwards she came to a cross...what did you call an underground crossroad?

She felt the wall and found a door. When she went in, her back pressed against Lucy almost threw up.

There was a single large block placed in the center of the lacrima-lit room. Two guards in uniforms were dragging an old woman in dressed in rags towards the block.

They were going to execute her. Lucy made a little squeaking sound, and one of the guards stopped dragging the old woman and turned towards Lucy.

Just then a hand snatched out and dragged her under the ground.


	8. Chapter 8: Still Underground

Gajeel kicked the door open. Inside, everybody was eating lunch. Mirajane served drinks, a blush on her cheeks.

He walked to the master's office. Everybody grew silent when Gajeel passed, staring at Levi, who was propped in his arms.

Inside, the master was still snoring in his wheelchair.

"Master?" the master woke with a jump. He glared at Gajeel through half-opened eyes.

"Hmph. I suppose you don't know its rude to barge in," said the master. "Young people these days, they don't even..." He trailed off and noticed the limp body in Gajeel's arms.

"It's Levi, right?" the master said, serious for once.

Gajeel nodded.

***~(0)~***

"Shh." A hand covered Lucy's mouth, muffling her scream. Her boot strap was loose after being grabbed on.

The familiar scent of ashes and wood overwhelmed her. So it was Natsu. The small space they were in was barely enough for two people. Lucy was face to face with Natsu, and they were slightly squished together.

"I was planning to attack them, but I accidentally fell in this hole, and now I can't get out," Natsu said. Lucy could feel his warm breath on her face. It smelt like fire.

"You should be thankful I saved you," he whispered, then cursed. "But now I'm stuck in this fucking thing." The walls were three meters tall.

Suddenly, as they stood there, not talking, Lucy became very aware of the fact that Natsu was a guy. A goofy, dense, and talkative one, but still a guy. She could feel his heart beating- they were that close. "Natsu..."

She touched his face. Natsu was startled. "Lucy?"

A loud shout from above brought Lucy back to herself. A flash of the old woman in rags crossed her mind.

"Please don't do this!" they heard her scream. "Please, I don't want to die!"

"They're going to execute her, Natsu," Lucy said, shivering at the thought. "We have to do something!"

"I can't get out of here," he said exasperatedly. "We can't do anything, Lucy."

Lucy began to cry. "NO! We can't let her die!"

She buried her face in Natsu's chest, wishing they had never gone on this stupid mission.

They waited. The sound of a magic circle forming filled the air above. A shriek ensued, then a terrible, terrible silence.

To Lucy's surprise, Natsu put his arms around her. "Don't cry, Luce. Everything will be all right."

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

**~&*~0~*&~**

She socked him in the stomach, Erza-style. The uniformed man bent over, gasping.

Erza grabbed a sword out of thin air, held the man up by his uniform collar, and impaled the sword through it. He whimpered in defeat.

"Why weren't you carrying a light?" Erza asked him, as Gray searched his pockets.

"I'm blind," the uniformed man said. He tilted his heads towards the ground. "This was my only hope."

Erza's face softened. "Then you should've joined the good side. We can help you."

Gray could feel him shudder in the dim space as he pulled out a blue disk with an OU insigna on it.

"You'll never defeat Lucifer," the man whispered. "He's too strong. You don't know what he's like when he plays serious."

"Chill," Gray told him, handing the disk to Erza, "we beat Hades- this Lucifer dude will be nothing."

"Hades?" the man was surprised. "Hades used to be Lucifer's apprentice."

Gray's heart almost stopped. "What did you say?"  
>"I said what you heard." He sighed. "But if you must, avenge my daughter. She...she was killed by this guild." Gray thought he could hear the man's voice thicken, as if there was soap stuck in his throat. As if he crying silent tears.<p>

"What is your name?" Erza asked, after a long moment.

"I am Gordon."

"We will seek revenge for you, Gordon. Stay strong."

After Erza released her sword, moving forward, they were both thinking the same thing:

How could anyone be so cruel?

**~&*~0~*&~**

Of all his minions, Lucifer liked Wolfbane the best.

Known better as Bane, he was the most stealth of all the seven, the most strong. Bane showed no mercy.

Because Bane was the most well performed when training for Shadow Magic, Lucifer chose him to be Grant, the one who would send the Fairy Tail mages on their way into Lucifer's palm. Bane was easy to trust, because as much as he was strong, he was also gullible and foolish, like a silly child bribed with candy.

The hooded figure knelt before Lucifer. Lucifer smiled.

"Hello, Bane, said Lucifer. "I am glad you succeeded. I have another mission for you."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Kill the blond. She is useless and worth nothing."

"And the reward?"

"Three hundred thousand jewels."

~0~0~0~

"Hmm," the master pondered, probing the book Opaque. "So you said Levi had this book near her?"

"Yeah." Gajeel glanced at Levi worriedly. "Is Levi okay?"

Master Makarov sighed. "We'll need to send her to Polyushka for confirmation."

Mirajane appeared at the doorway. "Is everything fine?"

Gajeel walked past her without uttering a word. He wasn't being rude; he was just thinking too hard.

Mirajane went to Levi's bedside and smoothed her hair. "I really hope Levi is okay..."

The master gave the book to Mira. "Maybe you can head over to the library to search this book up, Mira. It might hold clues on why Levi became like this. And I'm going to go have another beer." The master tried to wheel himself out before Mira could stop him, but Mira grabbed his wheelchair.

"Master! You should rest. Stay here, and don't think about drinking a sip fo alcohol unitil I get back, 'kay?" Mirajane gave him a smile that could warm your heart, but there was a devilish twinkle in her eyes.

The master wheeled back quickly. "Okay, Mira."

But just before Mirajane exited the guild doors, she bumped into a girl not quite a teen yet.

"Can I have a drink?" the girl asked, inside the guild. "My name is Melody, and I'm exhausted."


	9. Chapter 9: What the Dark Side Feels

**Hiya, minna! Just want to say: what does "fluffy" mean? I'm curious...**

**Also, today I looked up ways to get more reviews (I know, I just can't resist getting more...), and I found this forum on whether you should blackmail to get more reviews. **

**But that just makes it pointless, because then people only review because you blackmailed them. I don't think I would go as far as deleting my story, though. Even if nobody reads my stories, I would still treasure my stories as a piece of good work. **

**So, I want to thank everyone who wrote a review, for using their time to think one up, even if it's short. Thank you, because reviews tell me that people are reading my story and they like it. Treasure what you have and bear with it, all you writers out there. **

**Anyway, to celebrate my becoming of a beta reader, I have rewarded you with a special chappy. And a longer one, too. All the POVs here are based on the Occultus Umbra members.**

**Have a good read! :)**

* * *

><p>Today was the day Bane planned to overthrow Lucifer. His lucky day, he kept thinking to himself. But he couldn't resist a little money, so he'd be Lucifer's minion for a little while more.<p>

Doll Magic was Bane's specialty. He could manipulate the usual things, like wood and stone, but what was special about his magic was that Bane could also control living things, like humans. Only strong humans in a negative attitude ( jealousy, for example), but special none the less.

The blond. That was what Lucifer had said. Three hundred thousand jewels- Bane licked his lips in anticipation. He could have a feast.

Bane entered Gwyn's "poker room". It was supposed to be where she guarded their lacrima, the reason why they formed the guild.

He had a feeling his target might be around here.

**_ . _**

Melody had woken up in a dark, sealed compartment, with her hands and feet bound together. She'd managed to escape the trunk of the four-wheeler and make her way to the metal factory city. Over there, she had a close call with some weirdo, red-eyed, metal-eating guy.

Why had she been so reckless recently? First, it was the bakery, where she wasn't careful enough to dodge the box Lucy had thrown at her.

Her magic, Mind Magic, allowed her to search her opponents' minds and find their deepest memory and most prominent thoughts. Mind Magic also gave Melody the ability to create Black Holes, where she could suck her opponents into and cause them immense pain.

But then why didn't Melody notice the blue-haired girl sleeping just a few yards away?

Maybe it was because when she saw Layla Heartfilia in Lucy's mind, Melody was reminded of her parents, in the back of her mind. Maybe it was because just a few days, she'd overheard Opal say that Lucifer killed her parents and "adopted" Melody.

Melody had arrived at Magnolia, so tired she couldn't keep her eyes open. Even if you boarded a carriage, the Red City was still half an hour away.

That symbol on the tall building- it looked like the mark she had once seen on her mother's arm. It had also looked like the one on Lucy's hand.

Something about that mark made her feel safe and warm. Melody stopped to catch her breath, then headed towards the building, hoping she would find sanctuary before going back to the guild.

Leaning against an oak tree, Melody breathed in the fresh Magnolian air. She hadn't seen the sun in a long time. The last time she came out of their underground guild was this morning, because Lucifer gave her permission. But at that time there was a sandstorm, so you couldn't see anything.

The guild was an interesting place. She liked being there, because it put her mind off her past, and though Lucifer was harsh, Gwyn was really nice to her. She'd learned to show no mercy and attack her enemies at all costs, no matter what. Nobody could learn about her, and she had to stay low when outside of Occultus Umbra.

She continued towards the building. A few minutes later Melody could see it up close. She was almost there...

Melody pushed open the wooden doors and bumped into a motherly looking woman carrying a book.

"Can I have a drink?" Melody asked wearily. "My name is Melody, and I'm exhausted."

Melody froze. Shoot! She'd said her real name. "Uh, I mean..."

"It's okay," the woman smiled at her warmly. Nobody had smiled at Melody in a while like that except for Gwyn. "Come on in. We have apple juice, if you want."

"I'm not a child," Melody said coldly. She pushed past the woman and looked around. People were laughing and talking. The smell of food made her mouth water; the pie and bread she had stolen at the bakery didn't last very long. It was already two o' clock.

The white-haired woman tapped her shoulder lightly. "You should sit down. Kinana, will you give this girl something to drink?"

A perky, purple-haired girl jumped up. "Sure! Come this way." She grabbed Melody's arm and took her to a bar. Kinana poured her a little juice and set it on the counter. "Drink up."

Melody stared at her drink, suddenly losing her appetite. This was a guild. She was sure of it. She was in a guild, and not a dark guild. She was in danger zone.

Kinana tilted her head and looked at Melody. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, you there, what was your name again?" a half drunk teenager yelled. She had a large barrel in her arms and was drinking from it.

"I'm..." Melody racked her brain, trying to think up a name.

"Her name is Melody, Cana," said the white-haired woman. Cana took another swig from her barrel. "Huv ssssome beerrrr, Mehudy," Cana said, her words slurred.  
>"Don't be ridiculous," a man said. "She's not of age yet." He grinned at Melody. "Just sip your juice, okay, kid?"<br>"Wootevvverrrrr." Cana rolled her eyes.  
>These people are so nice, Melody thought, as everybody smiled at her. I feel so warm...<br>When Cana raised her barrel, a mark was revealed on her arm. When Melody saw the mark, she was jolted back to a memory she had long forgotten...

Flashback

"Mommy? What is that mark on your arm?" four-year old Melody asked, watching her mother chop vegetables.  
>"This?" Her mother looked at the light blue mark. She smiled. "Oh, Melody, this is a very special mark."<br>"Why is it special? Is it magic?"  
>"No, my dear. It's why I disappear sometimes to go to this place. It is called a guild."<br>"A guild?"  
>"A guild is a group of wizards that fight together and are nakama with each other." Melody's mother rubbed her mark. "I want you to join this guild someday. It is truly wonderful. This guild is called Fairy Tail."<br>"Fairy Tail..." Melody said thoughtfully, then gave a wide smile. "I will join Fairy Tail when I grow up!"  
>"You shall join. Fairy Tail will help you find your path in life."<p>

End of Flashback

"Melody? Melody?" Kinana waved a hand in front of Melody's eyes.  
>Melody blinked. "What?"<br>"You blanked out for a second. There's someone outside waiting for you. He says he needs to see you."  
>"Who is it," she muttered, setting down her apple juice and going outside. A stranger clad in dark blue robes with a hood on held his hand out to her. "Let's go."<br>Melody took a step backwards. "Who are you?"  
>Suddenly he pulled open his robes. Inside was the Occultus Umbra uniform. "Lucifer requested for you to be brought back. It's time to go home."<p>

Seti changed back to himself and followed the directions he had memorized a long time ago to the guild. First, hook two fingers from his right and left hand together in front of his heart. Mutter an incantation, touch the ground, and kiss his guild mark. The floor of the library melted a hole. Seti jumped inside.  
>Occultus Umbra was a large underground network that stretched through almost a third of Fiore. It was still expanding, and reaching Magnolia.<br>Where should he go next? Seti decided to go to the training room to practice his skills. But someone was there before him. One scarlet and one raven. Two strangers.  
>"Who are you?" Seti demanded.<br>Lucifer's voice entered his mind. Kill them. Do not hold back.  
>Seti felt excited at the thought of testing his powers. He raised his hand, and a magic circle appeared. "Devil's Song!" Dark orbs flew towards the two people. They dodged the orbs. The scarlet yelled, "Reequip!" Her armor brightened and changed. Ten swords appeared and rushed towards Seti.<br>He ducked, but the swords followed him. "Dark Slash!" the swords broke cleanly in halves.  
>The raven-haired boy held the heels of his palms together. "Ice Make, Hammer!"<br>His ice hammer destroyed Seti's flying orbs.  
>Seti smiled. "Very good. You are worthy opponents."<p>

Malikh couldn't believe how perfectly his plan had worked. Everything was in place. The only problem was that the whereabouts of Opaque were unknown. Inside Opaque held the secret to unlocking the Key of Immortality, the lacrima Gwyn, Aiden and Opal were supposed to guard. If they succeeded in powering up the lacrima, they would all become immortal and rule the world.  
>It was a pleasant thought.<p>

Gwyn had saved Melody's life. Only five years old at the time, Lucifer had killed her mother, Andrea Forester. Andrea was a Fairy Tail wizard who'd been sent to investigate some suspicious business in the Red City, but had been caught by Lucifer, since he thought she might reveal their secret guild. Little Melody had been at the candy store, waiting for her mother. She was only five years old at the time.  
>"Finish her off, Gwyn," Aiden had said. "We need to go."<br>Gwyn looked at Melody's sweet expression and decided to spare her life. She was a beautiful child.  
>Little did she know in seven years Melody would become a bitter girl who rarely smiled.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for taking time to finish this. I will be happy if you leave a review, but I won't force you to. Just be honest when you DO leave one. Until next time, then! Sayonala! ^_^<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: Almost Out for N&L

**Hiya dudes and girls! For some reason I'm getting tired of minna. This is the 10th chapter. Isn't that amazing? I actually managed to get to the tenth chapter. So, read on! :D**

* * *

><p>Natsu and Lucy stayed there for what seemed like hours. Natsu, after repeatedly trying to climb up, or use his magic to blast a hole (apparently the walls had some sort of protection spell on it0, and Lucy trying to call her spirits, whom she had forgotten had taken the day off, both gave up and sat on the dirt floor.<p>

After a moment Natsu spoke. "Remember there was that surprise I told you about?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I was going to buy you something you told me about. But it cost, like, a zillion jewels."

"What is it?" Lucy was curious now.

"A...a Stellar Stone." Why was he blushing? Natsu was thankful the hole was dark.

Stellar Stones were rare and expensive, according to Lucy. They came in a variety of colours: green, pink, blue, red. When a special command was uttered, the stone brightened and the stars trapped inside it would come out and shine the color of the stone. Natsu could still remember that time she mentioned it...

_ Flashback_

_ "Can we go now?" Natsu asked impatiently. He was bored to death. "I want to fight Gray. He put a ton of salt in my drink."_

_ "Just...a few...more...pages..." Lucy mumbled absently, her eyes glued to a book she had selected at the Magnolia bookstore. They were inside, Natsu leaning on the wall, his hands cushioning his head, and Lucy sitting cross legged on the floor._

_ Lucy slammed the book shut. "Okay! Let's go." She paid for the book and they strolled outside. It had begun to rain._

_ Must be Juvia at it again, he thought. _

_ As they walked home, slightly faster because of the rain, Lucy suddenly stopped. She stared at a blue stone behind a shop window. Rain dripped from her blond hair._

_ Lucy's chocolate eyes were sparkling. "Isn't it the most beautiful thing you've seen? I wonder what the stars inside it look like. You know, only the most powerful mages have the ability to catch stars." She sighed and gazed at the stone wistfully, ignoring the rain._

_ At that moment, he felt a little disappointed. Not because he wanted to see the stars too, but because Lucy was disappointed. He wanted to quench that wist and longing, so she would be happy._

_ The numbers beside the stone were a little big, however._

_ "Say, you wanna go on another mission?" Natsu asked. "I could really use a little money."_

_End of Flashback_

Lucy was quiet for such a long time Natsu thought she either hadn't heard him or was mad at him.

"Is that why you asked what my favorite color is?" Lucy said at last.

When he nodded, Natsu could tell she was smiling. She leaned forward. Before he could react, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Her vanilla and lily scent lingered for a moment before she pulled away.

"Thank you," Lucy said, beaming.

"Huh? It's nothing," Natsu said, his cheeks red. "We're nakama, right?"

"We are..." She sounded a little disappointed. "By the way, where did Happy go?"

"He's gone," Natsu said, trying not to explode because of the worry that was building up inside of him for his friend. "He just disappeared after I fell in this hole."

"What?" Lucy was alarmed. "But why?"

"I don't know." Natsu pounded his fist against the wall in frustration. "I still have no idea what the hell is going on. If Happy was here, we'd be out by now."

"Looking for me?" Both Fairy Tail wizards looked up at the open trapdoor. The shadow of Happy could be seen.

**_._**

"Heaven's Wheel!"

"Ice Make, Cannon!"

They were losing the battle. The man with the red eyes, redder that Gajeel's, just looked bored. Their unison raid managed to make him stumble back a few steps, but that was it. There were no scratches on him.

Erza and Gray were panting hard, but their opponent smiled.

"Not a match for me, hmm?" he said.

"I will not lose." Erza's voice was low and dark. She reequiped into her fastest armor. "I have found your weakness, and I will not dirty the name of Fairy Tail."

Erza cast several more blades at him. He blocked them with his orbs, which surrounded him in a semicircle. Erza, as quick as a jaguar, scampered behind him. His dark orbs moved to his back to block her attacks.

"Gray, now!" Erza shouted.

"Ice Make, Super Freeze Arrows!" His arrows knocked the man down. The man coughed weakly, but when he tried to get up, Erza kicked him down with her foot.

"Your defense is almost perfect," Erza said, "but to achieve such great power, you cannot block all sides."

"I, Seti, has not defeated you," Seti said hoarsely. "However, my brothers and sisters are greater and stronger than I. Be prepared."

**_._**

The prophecy. Lucifer's worst nightmare was that the prophecy would come true. If that were so, then all his plans were for nothing.

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><p><strong>Please tell me what you think, and what I should improve on! Also, what are flames? <strong>

**Thank you, Rose Tiger, for being such a faithful reader. Thank you to all the other people who reviewed and took their time to read my story.**

**R&R please! Reviews make me feel so good inside... :)**

**Ciao! ^_^**


	11. Chapter 11: Natsu's Battle

**Hullo peeps! I like peeps better than people, for some reason. This is the longest story I have written, which must mean I really like it. Also, the plot is going to come together soon, I promise. Just give me a little time to think it all out. **

**That's all! Enjoy your read! ;)**

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><p>The white-haired woman passed Melody when Melody was being brought away by the Occultus Umbra guard. Again the book was tucked under her arm.<p>

The title flashed under Melody's eyes.

_Opaque._

She couldn't believe it. How did she possess the book? The woman, Melody was sure, had no possible connections with Grant.

"Knock her out," she whispered to the guard, "that book in her arm..."

The guard's eyes widened when he too, saw the title. He obeyed, using a little magic when no one was looking. They dragged her to a small alley, took he precious book, and continued their journey.

**~~(0)~~**

"Where did you go?" Natsu asked Happy, after Happy flew them out. They were going forward, without a destination in mind. "You just disappeared after we followed the three guild members."

Happy stared back blankly. "I was knocked out after the bloody man froze us. What are you talking about, Natsu?"

"That means there was an imposter Happy with us," Lucy said. "Oh no! Doesn't that mean we were being tracked?"

"Really?" Happy asked. "Did the imposter me like fish?"

Lucy slammed into an invisible wall. "What the-"

"Ow!" Natsu was knocked down. Happy stopped flying in time, as shimmering purple runes appeared.

"The bloody man is going to freeze you again," a familiar voice called. Malikh walked towards them. "I noticed the blondie following me, so I guess you wanted more fun with me."

Lucy screamed and clutched her stomach. Happy flew around in their prison wildly, spinning circles.

"STOP IT!" Natsu roared, banging at the invisible barrier. "DON'T HURT LUCY! If you want to fight, FIGHT ME!"

The magic barrier dissipated. "Very well, Salamander."

Natsu acted immediately. A wave of fire crashed into Malikh. Through the fire, the shadow of a figure could be seen. When the bright flames burned away, an amused, scarlet-haired man stood, unscathed.

"My turn."

Natsu doubled over, an enormous pain gnawing at him from the inside.

"I showed Erza someone very important to her," Malikh said, as Natsu stood and swayed, resisting the pain.

"Have you ever heard of Erza mentioning her mother?"

"No." Natsu sent another attack at Malikh. "And I DON'T CARE. FIGHT ME PROPERLY AND SHUT UP!"

"All right. Dance, my blades." Countless silver blades appeared and aimed at Natsu.

He hated the fact that Malikh was mimicking Erza. He hated him for hurting Lucy and taking Happy away. The hallway exploded in flames. Natsu tried to grab the blades and melt them.

"Don't touch them!" His fingers stopped midair.

"They're cursed, remember?" Lucy muttered, slumped against the wall. "If you touch those illusions, I...I might lose you."

Lose me? Natsu thought. If he lost Lucy, he would be sad. No, wait. Natsu had to rethink that. It was possible that it would be hard to live normally. No more vanilla-y smelled beds. No more lily scent. No more key guys following her around.

He couldn't lose this battle.

Natsu needed a boost of some sort. He was almost out of magic power. If only that fire hadn't been an illusion...

The magic lights on the walls weren't made of fire, but maybe it could do. Natsu would get a little sick, but that was it. No big deal.

A blade hit his face. He stumbled backwards, as a cold, shivery feeling traveled from his cheek to his body.

"I won't lose," Natsu said, gritting his teeth. "I can't lose to a jerk like you."

Natsu dove for the lights. Unfortunately, Malikh wrote some runes that made them fly behind him. The hallway dimmed.

**~0~0~0~**

The noise outside was unbearable. Gwyn could hardly stand it. The racket ruined the effect of the huge lacrima stone,which glowed red, sometimes flashing purple.

"Damn it!" Aiden swore again under his breath. "What the fuck is making that noise?"

"Can you check it out, Gwyn," Opal said, staring at the large stone greedily. It didn't sound like a question. Gwyn went. Opal could be really intense when she was mad.

The first thing she saw when she opened the door was fire. Lots and lots of fire. Gwyn held her breath and went on, almost choking. She saw someone she despised.

"Malikh," Gwyn said, disgusted. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Malikh grinned. "Playing with some fairies. Lucifer's orders to kill them off."

Her eyes widened. "The Fairy Tail wizards? They're here?"

"FIST OF THE FIRE DRAGON!" someone yelled. A pink-haired teen slammed his fist at Malikh, and more fire appeared.

Under different circumstances, Gwyn would've cheered the teen on. But today was different.

"Just hurry up and finish him already," Gwyn said, about to turn back.

"Natsu!" A blue cat with wings flew towards the teenager. "I got some lights!"

"Thanks, Happy!" Natsu, to Gwyn's surprise, put them in his mouth and swallowed them. "Now that I've eaten, I'm all revved up. FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

Flames twice as powerful flew towards Malikh. Malikh actually stumbled and coughed.

Gwyn noticed the blue cat carrying a girl away from the battle. Through the smoke her mark was clear- the mark of Fairy Tail.

"Oh no you don't." Gwyn followed after them, her footsteps quickening.

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><p><strong>Short chappy, sorry. I'll update ASAP. Also, has anyone noticed that I update faster on weekends? There's a reason for that, you know...<strong>

**Thank you for all the great reviews. Thank you, and thank you!**

**PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK IN A REVIEW! ^_^ XD**

**Lebewohl! :D**


	12. Chapter 12: Scarlet Secret

**Aloha! I'm back again! ;D Today I present you the twelfth chappy. I think my story is getting too complicated that even _I _can't understand, but I'll work it out. I need your support, guys!**

**Thank you again for all the great reviews. :) You guys are part of the reason I'm still writing.**

**Also, I haven't updated during the weekend. It's because I went to the theater to watch The Hunger Games (duh). Seriously, that movie is so popular. I mean, when I went to school EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE except one or two, had watched it. It's just that popular.**

**But this isn't about Hunger Games. This is about Fairy Tail, so here it is...**

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><p>"<em>The fairies will destroy you. They shall smolder your evil plans and find the book <em>Opaque_. Fairy Tail will be your defeat."_

That was the last thing his mother had said before he killed her. A part of Lucifer was afraid she was right. She could foresee the future with deadly accuracy, after all.

But somehow, Lucifer couldn't accept the fact that she was dead. Just before he took her life, her body disappeared.

Ten years later, she came back and committed suicide right in front of his eyes.

Lucifer wanted to kill those Fairy Tail wizards and prove her wrong. Then, at last, he could accomplish the impossible and take over the world of magic.

It was a nice thought.

**~~~0~~~**

Somehow, after a long battle, Natsu found himself standing above Malikh, about to throw another punch.

"You want to know something, dragon slayer?" Malikh said, his lips stretched in a gruesome, unnatural smile.

"Fine." Natsu had already won- a few words couldn't hurt, right?

"Erza used to be from a dark guild. Her mother was her master. Lucifer's last guild."

In that moment that Natsu was in shock, Malikh raised his foot and kicked Natsu, knocking him out cold.

**~~~0~~~**

"Erza?"

"Yes, Gray?"

"Um, I'm just curious but...who was your mother?"

Erza's face tightened. Immediately Gray knew he had hit a sore spot.

"She...disappeared. I never knew her name" was all Erza said.

"Oh."

They fell into an uneasy, nervous silence. Around the bend, they saw someone ahead. A uniformed guard and young girl...

"That's the girl we caught," Gray whispered. "How did she- "

Erza put her finger to her lips, pointed at themselves, then pointed at the people in front. She wanted to follow them.

The girl and the guard rounded a bend, then both touched the ground, muttered something, and raised their sleeves. Both had the same mark- the OU insignia unalike the one on Gordon's blue disk, and a black sun. They pressed their lips to their marks. The ground melted a hole, and they slipped inside.

Gray and Erza followed before the hole closed up.

**~~~0~~~**

"Mira! Mirajane!"

Bisca shook her vigorously, until Mira coughed. "B-Bisca?"

"Are you alright, Mira?" Bisca asked.

"There's something about that girl..." Mirajane murmured. "Where did the book go?"

"Book? What book?"

"Levi's book. That book is evil...I could feel its dark aura."

Her eyes widened. "The girl took it! It must be." Tears fell from her cheeks. "Poor Levi..."

Alzack exited the magic shop nearby, carrying new magic guns. "Bisca? What's wrong?"

"I found Mira lying in an alleyway. We need to take her back."

**~~~0~~~**

Melody knelt. "Master Lucifer."

Lucifer reached forward and slapped her, hard. Melody bit back a cry.

"Don't go wandering off again." His eyes traveled to the book in her hand. "And what is that?"

"_Opaque_, sir. It seems so, at least."

"Give it to me." Lucifer sounded hungry for it. At the last second, Melody hesitated.

"Now!"

"Y-Yes, sir," she stammered. Lucifer practically grabbed it, satisfied.

"You may go, Melody." She and the guard obeyed.

Just before they went up the Stairs of Protection, stairs that led up to a different location of the guild each time in order to protect the place's location, Melody thought she saw a flash of red hair.

It couldn't be, could it? When Melody searched the presence's mind, she stopped in her tracks.

How could Erza Scarlet be alive?

**~~~0~~~**

The blue cat and blond turned and saw Gwyn. They began to fly faster.

Gwyn was about to grab the cat's tail, but someone else did instead. A hand rough with calluses and a little worn with age appeared.

"I'll take care of these two," a deep voice said. Gwyn looked up and saw the scarred face of Bane. Without waiting for her to answer, he grabbed the blond's foot and pulled her down from the ceiling. She squeaked in terror.

"Lu-ccy!" the blue cat cried, but he, too, was pulled down as well. His wings disappeared.

Gwyn winced as Bane proceeded to twist her neck. But he stopped suddenly.

"Never mind. I'll take her to the dungeon." He left, disappearing out of the door.

She stood in the smoke filled room, too deep in thought to remember to cough. That blond...when she cried out, something about it seemed vaguely familiar. Had they met before?

She returned to the room. Malikh and the boy were gone, probably to Lucifer.

**~~~0~~~**

After Malikh left, Lucifer fingered his book. Yes, it was his now.

He opened it. Shimmery words appeared.

_Only the fairies of spirit, flame, ice, and blades shall unlock this book. _

He cursed. But no matter. He _will _succeed. Lucifer couldn't kill the fairies, but it was worth it to succeed. He will mock his mother for being wrong.

His mother, Quantara Scarlet.

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><p><strong>Okay, so the first name was completely random. I love cliffys! Sorry they make you feel a little disappointed, but I just can't resist. <strong>

**Wait for the next chapter please! Also, reviews make me happy. :)**

**Au revoir! :3 (French)**

**(one last thing: my last words in the chapters, if you don't understand, are usually different languages of "Goodbye". I think it was German last time...)**


	13. Chapter 13: A Little Message

**Hullo again! Well, I just can't ignore the fact that writer's block has come my way again. My Fairy Tail fic is becoming a little hard to write, so...GOMEN! GOMEN! I need to stop writing this for a little while, or just slow my updates a little. Thank you, readers who enjoyed reading my fanfic, and sorry that I have to tell you this. **

**Hope we meet again! ^_^**

**Love,**

**~Anna~**


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